Water as Fuel in Near Future?

While writing Evolved I have had my ears wide open about novel new energy sources. After all, thrusting a good portion of mankind to far away planets (as I do in Evolved) is simply not feasible with current energy sources.

Recently an old friend mentioned his company was getting close to making water into a viable energy source. When I asked on what scale he shrugged and replied any scale and that he actually felt bad for current dependents of oil and gas. He would not disclose anymore than that since the company is currently in the development stage and working on a round of financing.

My old life as a Chartered Financial Analyst working on Wall Street roared to life and merged into my writing self. Game changing technology? I’m in! After living in San Francisco through the dotcom era, I have experience with how thrilling these paradigm shifts can be.

Now the idea of using water as an energy source isn’t new. Hydrogen has long been recognized as a viable and plentiful energy source. The problem has always been how to separate the hydrogen from the oxygen in an energy-efficient manner. A quick search on the internet showed that researchers have been experimenting with bacteria and solar-thermal techniques. The U.S. Navy has also been doing its own research into the matter.

Maybe fate is guiding us, melting the oceans into a readily available supply of water to fuel our interstellar aspirations. If so, traditional oil and gas companies will have a tough go, as will oil exporting nations. But, maybe humanity will be saved, or even enabled to spout into space. Fun stuff to flip over in the mind.

Eagle Eye Shared

The path that led me to write Evolved began firmly in science and logic, studying the properties of chemical elements, space time structures, and neurology. It eventually led me to something I called the “Real” in the book as I dove into psychology, specifically the subconscious. It was only at the end that I felt I had missed something in the series of objects I had logically patterned out. Eventually I was guided to Richard Rohr, a Franciscan monk, who explained what I had wrote completely.

To be clear, I believe Christianity is merely one path we can follow to find the “Real.” Most other religions, spirituality and even science also seek to guide one to the same truth. However, our ego gets in our way and every faith or mindful effort focuses on different aspects. In designing the symbol for Evolved, I wanted most faiths and even mindful thinkers to see meaning. After all, the ancient Greeks touched on deeper truths in their math and science discoveries.

This morning I received the weekly summation of Richard Rohr’s writings. “Shared Identity” speaks to what I touched on in “Eagle Eyes Penetrate.” The following is an excerpt:

“Francis spent much of his time praying in solitude in nature. He practiced contemplation, or ‘a long loving look at the real,’ which allowed him to see in a new way. Seeing from a pair of glasses beyond our own is what I call ‘participative seeing.’ This is the new self that can say excitedly with Paul, ‘I live no longer, not ‘I’ but it is Christ now living in me’ (Galatians 2:20). In the truest sense, I am that which I am seeking. This primal communion communicates spaciousness, joy, and a quiet contentment. It is not anxious, because the essential gap between me and everything else has already been overcome. I am at home in a sacred and benevolent universe, and I do not need to prove myself to anybody, nor do I need to be ‘right,’ nor do others have to agree with me.”

– Richard Rohr

Standing on Giants

Over the summer I plan to go through my sources of inspiration for Evolved. This is partly for my own benefit as I refresh my understanding of various theories. It is also to recognize the brilliant minds that have transformed my life over the past few years. Finally, it will help you understand the road I have traveled to date, and how I arrived at this point.

The path started innocently enough with the thought, “What if humans could adapt to non-organic elements and unlock new capabilities?” This initial idea quickly swept me into chemistry, neurology and psychology, followed almost immediately by cosmology and particle physics. Quantum mechanics and time philosophy took some time to wrap my head around, but boning up on general relativity helped me to understand at least the basics. I’ve always enjoyed moral philosophical debates like “sacrificing the many for the few,” as well as arguments around free will and determinism. One book on chance I read at least five times before it clicked.

When the second draft of the manuscript was complete I took a step back and thought, “there is something more to this.” After showing the draft to a minister at my church, I was blown away that the world I had created was explained almost perfectly by spiritual teaching. Not only that, but Christian, Judaism, and Buddhism belief systems all seemed to explain the supra conscious element I had developed, especially Native American spirituality. Ancient Greek philosophy suddenly sprang into relevance for me. It became clear my mind was wrestling with deeper questions than I had recognized. This realization has been transforming me, urging me on to deeper understandings in all the areas mentioned above.

It has been very cool to go into science and emerge out of spirit. Hope you enjoy the ride.